Lamp socket and harp assembly



Feb. 23, 1954 G. B. BENANDER 2,670,432

LAMP SOCKET AND HARP ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 24, 1951 lhv'eh'bor George B. Benand Patented Feb. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES "OFFICE LAMP'SOCKET "AND HARP ASSEMBLY George B. =Benander; oaklawn, 'L, asslgnorito General Electric Gompany, n corporation of New York Applicati'on-0ctob'er24, 1951;seriammzszpss (crem -14s) and a pivoting device of some sort at the top to provide pivotal support for a lamp shade.

An electric bulb may be positioned in the socket and within the harp.

The means for securing my improved lamp harp serves a dual function of locking the harp in position and holding two halvesof alamp socket toether.

Lamp harps, if assembled on a lamp before shipment, necessitate the use-"of a carton several inches longer than that which wouldbe required if the lamp harp were not assembled. Accordingly, it is an object-of this invention to provide an improved lamp harp including means for assembling the same wherein the lamp harp f can be assembled on the lamp socket by the ultimate consumer.

It is a further object of this invention toprovide-a combined device which supports a lamp harp and which secures together the halves of a lamp socket.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved securing device for a portable lamp harp wherein the free end of the-harp can be snapped into position in such a *manner that they are secured 'in'place until the lamp socket is disassembled.

Further objectsand advantages of this 'invention will become apparent and the invention will be more clearly understood from the following de scription referring to the accompanying drawing and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out withparticu- 'larity in theclaims-annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

Briefly, this invention comprises thecombination of a harp having a pair of free ends with dey harp engages the corresponding notches in the bushing.

lnthe drawlng, Fig.f-1 is'a front elevation or an improved lamp-socket-and harp including a shade 's'hownin dotted outline; Fig. 2 is affront elevation of a, portion of the lamp socket-'shown in Fig.

""1 mcluding-one end of the harp'inserted in one bushing :and with th'e other end of the harp about to L be insettddnto a i corresponding bushing; Fig. "-3 is n side :view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2 showing the detent on one harp "end inserted into its respective notches while Fig. 4 :is a top elevation of one of the bushings of I the lamp-socket shown in the other figures.

In the drawing lamp 'I I is shown as comprising a sOcket I' mounted-"on albase 3. The socket sup- "ports a bulb 4, and a harp! which in turn support's the shades.

'The construction of the lamp including the meansiar mountm g' 'socket '2 on base 3 is more completely described in my :copendin'g application "Ser'ialNoiMBg-SZI, filed September 2'7, 1951, now

Patent 'No. 21652548, assigned to the same assignee as the "present application and the lamp c socket itself including its two halves is described more'completelyin'my copending application Ser.

"No. l82,2 l3, fild.August 30,1950, now Patent No. ;2,652;48'5,also assigned to the same assignee as the present applioationbutbriefly, the lamp "socket 2=compnsestwomating halves l and a which are united' toform a som'ewhat'cylindrical outer shell. 'Ihe-l'amp 'socketitself is made of *one or the phenolic :ror urea molding compounds 'or it might be' ma'de irom any suitable material approvedfor this usebv the Underwriters Laboratories.

*gitudinal "split such "as that shown in Fig. 3

wherein -the bulge in is shown-comprising the bulgehalves 1 land. Eachof the bulge halves II and I'I'has a notch f3, M respectively, formed .in it. The notches are positioned in the periphery or a'bore 15 which is defined bythe bulge halves ll, l2. In the wall of bore #5 are opposed vertically extending guide grooves l5a which, at their lower end, communicate with notches l3 and I4, and at their upper end merge into a beveled wall l5b at the outer end of bore [5.

With such a structure a pair of molded socket halves are united along a common seam to form an aperture for receiving electric bulb 4 and a pair of bores I5 which are defined one each by the bulges 9, Ill. The matinghalves of the socket and bulges are then held together by a pair of spring clips I6, I I.

The spring clips, one of which is shown in Fig. 4, each comprise a U-shaped strap of resilient material having a pair of ears I8 and I9 which fit into corresponding notches or grooves 20 and M located at the junction of the bulges 9, I and socket 2. The spring clips are slid axially along the bulges so that the ears I8, I9 slide, preferably upwardly, in the grooves 20, 2! until the spring clips are positioned substantially at the top of the bulges as shown in Fig. 1. With such a structure the socket is assembled in such a manner, that its halves may be spread apart slightly against the resiliency of the clips I6, I! whereupon after the spreading pressure is released, the clips I6, II will reassemble the socket partsin mating relationship.

Lamp harp is formed in any desired shape and. preferably it has a pair of free ends 22, 23 as shown in Fig. 2. The free ends 22, 23 are inserted into bores I5 within bulges 9, I0 respec tively. Accordingly, the lamp harp 5 is made of a material which, after being preformed, will be rigid enough to support a shade and be supported by the bulges 9, I0.

The lower portion of the harp free ends 22, 23 are each provided with detents 25, 26. These detents may be swaged or otherwise formed to have a shape which will engage the notches l3, I4 in the bulge halves II, I2.

With such a structure when the lamp harp 5 is inserted into the socket, its free ends 22, 23

are inserted into the bulges 9, II! respectively. The

detents 25, 25 force the bulge halves II, I2 apart in opposition to the resiliency of clips l6, l1 until the detents 25, 26 fit into the notches I3, I4 whereupon the bulge halves II, I2 are again brought back to mating relationship by the clips IE, IT. Accordingly, it is a simple matter for the ultimate consumer to take the lamp harp 5 and insert it into the lamp socket 2. In inserting the harp ends into the bores, they are guided by the detent following down the guides grooves 55a. The bevel at the upper end of the bore assists in initially guiding the harp ends into the grooves.

When inserted as described, the harp is fixedly positioned within the bulges 9, III so that it cannot be removed unless the bulge halves II, I2 are spread suificiently to allow the detents 25, 26 to be withdrawn through the bores I5.

It has been found that the combination of the spring clips IS, IT, and the detents 25, 26 with the notches I3, I4, provides a dual function device wherein the free ends 22, 23 of the harp are supported in the bores I5 and the spring clips I6, I! hold the socket halves together.

To provide support for lamp shade 6, a double swivel 24 is positioned at the top of the lamp harp 5 whereby the lamp shade 6 can be tilted in two planes; that is, it can be tilted into or out of the plane of the drawing, or it can be tilted in the plane of the drawing.

Modifications of this invention will occur to 4 those skilled in the art and it is desired to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not to be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed but rather it is intended to cover all modifications which are within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What I claim as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a lamp socket having an outer shell split longitudinally to form two shell parts, bulges integral with the shell parts at the seam between such parts which extend longitudinally along the opposed sides of the shell and are contoured to provide vertically extending bores open at their upper end, said bulges being split longitudinally in line with the split between the shell parts to provide complementary bulge members integral with each shell part, recessed walls at the lower ends of said bores which define notches which extend into the walls of the bores at right angles to the plane of the split between the bulge members, spring clips clamped over said bulges to yieldingly hold the shell parts and bulge members together, and a harp having free ends positioned in said bores, said harp ends having diameters equal to the diameters of said bores and outwardly projecting detents positioned in said notches, said spring clips being adapted to yield to permit separation of the shell parts and bulge members so that the harp ends may be pushed down through the bores to bring the detents into said notches.

2. A lamp socket having an outer shell split longitudinally to form two shell parts, bulges in-, tegral with the shell parts at the seam between such parts which extend longitudinally along the opposed sides of the shell and are contoured to provide vertically extending bores open at their upper ends, said bulges being split longitudinally in line with the split between the shell parts to provide complementary bulge members integral with each shell part, recessed walls at the lower ends of said bores which define notches which extend into the walls of the bores at right angles to the plane of the split between the bulge members, and spring clips clamped over said bulges to yieldingly hold the shell parts and bulge members together, whereby said shell parts and bulge members may be moved apart by a harp having free ends provided with outwardly projecting detents to attach a harp to the lamp socket with the detents positioned in said notches.

GEORGE E. BENANDER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,215,838 Negus Feb. 13, 1917 2,114,194 Sadacca Apr. 12, 1938 2,114,826 Zelov Apr. 19, 1938 2,221,505 Benander Nov. 12, 1940 2,435,954 Berger Feb. 1'7, 1948 2,520,795 Bramming Aug. 29, 1950 

